Cartoons highlight comic moments in Summerside woman’s life

Tesa Lyon illustrates positive events that happen in her life through cartoons. - Desiree Anstey

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. - Black and white pencil drawings spring to life through the eyes of Summerside cartoonist Tesa Lyon on a recent Sunday afternoon.

“We had a cat named Maggie. This cat would always be staring off into space and we would never have any idea what she was thinking, but the minute my mother got off her chair then she would spring into it,” remembered Lyon, with a smile.

“One time my mother was in her rocking chair, and the cat was just watching her. We have all these chairs for the cat to sit on, so my mother asked, ‘Maggie, would you like a treat?’

“My mother then got up and went to the kitchen to get the cat a bowl of milk. She puts the milk down for the cat, and then starts walking back to sit in her rocking chair. The cat suddenly darts past her and jumps into that chair.

“So the cat managed to get my mother off the chair to steal it, while also getting a treat at the same time.”

“My cartoons are based on my world, and I try to keep them as realistic as possible. I don’t embellish and I don’t exaggerate, and that feels right to me. For some people, drawing takes them to a different world, where they can create characters and become superheroes, but my cartoons are recordings of events that happened in my life.”

Lyon keeps a visual record of these events in her life that have made her smile.

“It’s visual storytelling and it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “My cartoons are based on my world, and I try to keep them as realistic as possible. I don’t embellish and I don’t exaggerate, and that feels right to me.

“For some people, drawing takes them to a different world, where they can create characters and become superheroes, but my cartoons are recordings of events that happened in my life.”

Lyon is a member of the Cartoon Drawing Group that meet every Sunday at the Summerside Rotary Library at 12:30 p.m.

“It would be nice to have more people come out that enjoy networking with other cartoonists, and are self-guided with their drawing,” she said.